Yan Yin, a monk at the Longhua Temple in Xuhui, Shanghai has let us know that at the end of the Chinese lunar calendar year, the bell will on a very rare occasion be accessible to the public. You can be one of the lucky ones who rings the huge bronze bell (weighing 3.3tons!!) for a year–long stint of fortunate.
There will be 108 spots, from midnight until midday on the 31st January (by our Gregorian calendar!). It is a tradition to strike the bell 108 times to ring in the year in Buddhist temples as according to their teaching, we have that exact number of earthly desires and sins that cause us suffering – and by listening to the bells toll, we can dispel each desire, one by one. Perfect in our opinion!
Now for the downside… tickets are fairly steep, you can pay several thousand RMB for the early time slots and after midday the spots are even more coveted. If you want to be among the most prosperous this year, we suggest you arrive very very early.
This ritual, called Joya-no-Kane, is a beautiful purification rite that encourages a spiritual fresh start for the coming year. For a full translated list of the ‘earthly desires’ that you can rid yourself off, see below!
Ostentatiousness, grudge, gambling, ingratitude, dipsomania, ambition, dominance, faithlessness, manipulation, stinginess, pessimism, hostility, abuse, debasement, sexual lust, sarcasm, humiliation, jealousy, gluttony, unruliness, hurt, cruelty, unkindness, obstinacy, envy, indifference, negativity, furtiveness, sadism, enviousness, derision, falseness, high-handedness, know-it-all, rage, aggression, rapacity, effrontery, disrespectfulness, hard-heartedness, eagerness for power, lying, insidiousness, self-denial, inattentiveness, contempt, wrath, haughtiness, greed for money, seducement, vindictiveness, insatiability, voluptuousness, excessiveness, censoriousness, dissatisfaction, egoism, ignorance, hatred, greed, impudence, imposture, cursing, imperiousness, lecherousness, callousness, malignancy, torment, intolerance, blasphemy, shamelessness, irresponsibility, obsession, prejudice, arrogance, violent temper, garrulity, dogmatism, presumption, intransigence, oppression, prodigality, lack of comprehension, obstinacy, pride, conceitedness, delusion, quarrelsomeness, self-hatred, violence, vanity, hypocrisy, stubbornness, baseness, pretence, mercilessness, disrespect, ridicule, masochism, tyranny, capriciousness, deceit, anger, discord, calculation, unyielding, desire for fame, deception.(I imagine that some of the repetition is due to translation.)
31st January 12:00am–12:00pm
2853 Longhua Rd, Xuhui, Shanghai
http://www.timeoutshanghai.com/features/Blog/10122/Ring-the-bell-to-welcome-the-New-Year.html

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